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Caroline Brewton

BEST FISHING IN TEXAS

SPORTS VIEWS

Feature Columnist For The Record Page 2A

Kaz’s Forecast

Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 4B

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MUSTANG INSIDER Mustang Football Meri Elen Jacobs Page 1B

H The Home Of Seattle Seahawk Earl Thomas III H

County Record Vol. 56 No. 33

The Community Newspaper of Orange, Texas

Brother’s homecoming ‘Best Christmas gift ever’

Week of Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Dec. 7

1941

INFAMY

Haley Votaya, center, an LCM eigth grader, beams with happiness as her brother, Chris Votaya, surprises her at school Tuesday after returning from Bahrain from service with the U.S. Navy. The brother and sister are seen with their mother Brenda Authemen. RECORD PHOTO: Mike Louviere

Mike Louviere For The Record

Chris Votava is a 2013 graduate of Little Cypress –Mauriceville High School. His sister, Haley is an eighth grade student at LCM Jr. High. Haley thought her brother was in Norfolk, Virginia after returning from a deployment to Bahrain on his ship the USS George H. W. Bush. She walked into her art class at school Tuesday morning to see smiling students, her parents, and assorted news media in the room. She was attempting to figure out what all the fuss was about when someone said, “turn around.” Haley turned and saw

Chris standing behind her. There were smiles, tears and long, tight hugs between the siblings. “I did not know he was coming home, this is the best Christmas present ever,” said Haley. Chris had left home to go to Navy boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Recruit Station, near Chicago last Feb. 8. He was able to come home for a few weeks in April and then reported to his ship, already on station near Bahrain, June 18. He is serving as an ABHAA, Aviation Boatswain’s MateAirman Apprentice. His job is to move FA-18 fighter planes on the carrier. He wears a blue CHRISTMAS Page 3A

STI Group expands to West Orange Mike Louviere For The Record

The Southeast Texas Industries Group started in 1978 in an 8,000 square foot metal shop manned by three men. It has since expanded to 11 locations with several hundred employees. The newest location will be at 1125 Foreman Road in West Orange. Orange County will be able to give STI a tax abatement after action was taken at the last West Orange city council meeting. The West Orange city council voted to approve a reinvestment zone for the area of the construction of the fabrication shop that is under construction by STI. “We found that the reinvest-

Ross Smith’s

ment zone needed to be created by the city so that the county could enter into an agreement with STI for a tax abatement. Now that the city has done that we can finalize the abatement agreement,” said Bobby Fillyaw, Orange County Economic Development Corporation Director. “Orange County and STI will have a signed contract for an approximate 80 percent ad valorem tax reduction for a six year period. STI has agreed to not reduce the number of employees at their other Orange County locations. The West Orange fabrication shop will create 75 permanent jobs.” “Our council needed to create the reinvestment zone to STI GROUP Page 3A

Above: The wreckage of the USS Arizona ablaze after the attack. The news of the attack on Pearl Harbor blazed across newspapers world wide. Left is the front page of the New York Daily news published on December 8, 1941.

Former Sailor Recalls Attack On Pearl Harbor Mike Louviere For The Record

T

he story of how a quiet Sunday morning in Hawaii turned into “A Day of Infamy” has been told and retold for 73 years. It is one of the most important days in American history and is a day that should never be forgotten. Two of the ships that were attacked in Pearl Harbor that day still lay where they were berthed during the attack. The USS Utah was an old battleship that had its decks overlaid with 6X12 timbers so that she could withstand practice bombs being dropped on her decks, she was a “target ship.” The Utah was the oldest of the nine battleships at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese did not realize that she was only a target ship; they attacked her because they thought she was an active battleship. On the other side of Ford Is-

land from the berth of the Utah quiet Sunday morning. was Battleship row. Seven of the Bill Stephenson, a native of Navy’s battleships were docked Jasper, Texas had enlisted in the here, lined up in a neat row. In Navy in early 1941, “to see the one berth, the USS Arizona was world, and get out of East Texon the inside, with the as.” Stephenson USS Vestal, a service had been assigned vessel, tied on her outto the heavy cruisboard side. The Arizoer Honolulu. He na and the Vestal were was was below moored behind the decks at his stabattleship Nevada, tion in the powder ahead of the battleroom that Sunday ships Tennessee and morning. Stethe West Virginia. phenson’s job was Bill Stephenson is one of a East of the Arizona, small handful of Pearl to assist in the among other heavy Harbor survivors in Or- loading of the big County. cruisers, near the sub- ange deck guns on one PHOTO: Mike Louviere marine docks, was the of the Honolulu’s USS Honolulu. three turrets. He Crews on the three ships had would perforate the powder caneaten breakfast, were eating isters and then load them on the breakfast, or were getting ready elevator that carried them up to to eat breakfast. The Sunday the gun in the turret. A plunger morning routines on the ships would then push the projectile of the U S Navy Pacific Fleet and the powder canisters into were beginning. Until about PEARL HARBOR Page 3A 8:00 a.m. it appeared a normal,


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